This invention relates to an electromechanical system that can automatically isolate individual head hairs and mechanically process them in isolation so as to beautify them. For example, by attaching one or a very few hair extensions to one or a very few scalp hairs.
It is well known that isolation of small numbers of skin-attached hairs is useful in the art of hair beautification. For example, highlighting requires the isolation of a small number of scalp hairs so that a coloring agent can be applied selectively to them, and many hair extension application techniques require the isolation of a small number of scalp hairs so that hair extensions can be attached to them. Likewise hair isolation is useful in other hair beautification procedures such as curling the hair.
Several handheld tools that aid in the isolation of skin-attached hairs have been previously developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,678,891 issued to Walsh on Jul. 31, 1928, discloses a hair waver that uses cooperating combs with isolation comb teeth mounted on a hinged assembly so as to isolate multiple strands in parallel when said assembly is closed. The isolated multiple strands are then waved in parallel by introducing, a second set of moving comb teeth into the isolated strands of hair. One comb tooth is introduced into each isolated strand and moved so as to force said strand significantly laterally against one of the isolation comb teeth so as to form a wave in the hair strand. Thus, multiple hair strands are given separate waves at the same time. To processes a second batch of hairs, the assembly's hinge must be opened and the device must be reoriented on another area of the scalp.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,542 issued to Lee May 28, 1991, discloses an instrument for selectively separating strands of hair comprising a comb and handle assembly with a multitude of hooks placed significantly on the opposite side of the assembly relative to the comb's teeth. The comb portion is used to comb out a relatively flat lock of scalp hair. Next, the assembly is flipped over facilitating the introduction of the hooks into the flat lock of hair. The hooks are then moved away from said flat lock carrying with them small isolated locks of hair. Thus, a multitude of hair strands is isolated in separate groups at the same time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,186 issued to Esposto Aug. 22, 1978, discloses a comb for subdividing hair strands. It is a comb that has two lengths of hair channels between its teeth, shallow and deep. When combed into a lock of hair, the lock of hair is divided between the shallow and deep channels. At this point a sliding member is drawn across the channels so as to intersect them and trap all of the deep-channel hairs in the dead ends of the deep channels. This leaves the hairs in the shallow channels isolated and ready for subsequent treatment.
The above three prior-art devices characterize handheld prior-art devices for the isolation of skin-attached hairs. They all share a common disadvantage in that they can only isolate one batch of hairs at a time before they must be reoriented with considerable manual effort so that they may be brought into contact with another batch. They cannot simply be moved continuously along the scalp as they perform repeated isolation cycles. For example, Esposto's comb traps one batch of scalp hairs at channel dead ends behind a sliding finger or channel obstruction member. However, in order to repeat the process, its operator must release these hairs and manually comb it through hair on a different portion of the scalp.
The present invention eliminates this disadvantage allowing multiple processing cycles to occur without reorientation as the device is moved continuously relative the skin surface. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention contains a sliding channel obstruction member superficially similar to the sliding finger described by Esposto, the two channel obstruction implementations are quite different. The present invention uses its channel obstruction means to allow a limited number of hairs entry into an isolation area while denying many hairs behind it entry. Unprocessed hairs are forced to wait their turn behind it (behind relative to the direction of hair-flow movement through the system). In essence, unprocessed hairs wait in bunches ready to be nibbled away by the incisive action of the channel obstruction means. This configuration facilitates greatly increased processing rapidity and makes isolating much smaller bunches of hair much more practical. Its continuous mechanical operations are more consistent with automation via a sequencing control means such as a computer than are those of the above prior art devices.
Although the embodiment of this invention described in the greatest detail, herein, is for automated attachment of hair extensions, a variant of it makes possible highly precise automated haircutting. There are automated haircutting devices in the prior art. However, the most similar one we know of is only capable of cutting the hair one length before user interaction is required. This device consists of a relatively conventional electric hair trimmer mounted in a bracket that holds said trimmer portion a fixed height over the scalp while at the same time supplying a vacuum source above said trimmer portion. The vacuum source both holds hairs straight upward so that they all get cut at the same length and carries away hair trimmings. The problem with this system is that it produces a haircut in which every hair on the head is cut to the same length, unlike most professional haircuts which have many lengths, and this length is limited to a maximum far below that required for most women's hairstyles. My hair-isolation-based system will not have these limitations. It can cut hairs to different lengths at different positions on the head, as professional hairstylist would by hand. Also, it can be used in highly precise application of conventional hair-salon preparations including permanent curling formulas, hair relaxing formulas and colorants.